Spool-attachment.



I. HOWARD-OKEEPFE.

I SPOOL ATTACHMENT. 7 APPLICATION FILED AUG.21, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912.

i i/Cue Meb COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH {JO-,WASHINGTON, D. c.

ISABEL I-IOWARD-OKEEFFE, OF LAKE NOMININGUE, QUEBEC, CANADA.

SPOOL ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 21, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912. Serial No. 645,187.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ISABEL HOWARD- OKEEFFE, of 7 Chapleau road, Lake Nominingue, Province of Quebec, Canada, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spool Attachments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a device whereby the loose end of a spool of thread may be readily and quickly secured so as to prevent the unwinding of the thread from the spool and the resultant tangling of such thread and furthermore to enable a desired length of thread to be severed from the spool by means of such device.

For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference must be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters indicate the same parts and wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of the thread securing and severing device in use, the spool being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device when being applied to the spool; and Fig. 4 is av face view of the blank from which the device is formed.

As stated my invention relates to an attachment for spools adapted to have thread wound thereon and by means of which attachment the loose end of the thread is secured thus preventing the unwinding of the thread from the spool.

Heretofore in order to secure the loose end of the thread it has been the practice to cut the edge of the spool at one end and to slip the loose end of the thread into such cut but this has been found disadvantageous for the reason that the thread is apt to become wedged within the cut and present difficulty when it is desired to release it, also the out portion of the spool is liable to break away and leave a wide notch which is not capable of holding the thread.

To overcome previous defects I have conceived a one piece device adapted to be readily attached to a spool and which provides a permanent catch for the loose end of the thread while also providing means for severing a length of thread from the spool. The said device comprises a hollow cylindrical shank 6 adapted to be inserted in the central hole formed through the spool, one end of the shank I) being formed with an integral lug c at right angles thereto, that is to say lying fiat upon the end of the spool. The lug c is formed with a notch (Z slightly flared at its outer end to facilitate the insertion of the thread on it; the thread may simply be drawn under the lug c. The opposite end of the shank is split in any preferred manner to provide integral lugs to secure the device to the spool and they also may be used to fasten the loose end of the thread and as shown in the drawing (see Fig. 1) there are provided three lugs e which extend radially from the shank and lying flat on the end of the spool extend to the edge of the latter where in the preferred construction they are clenched as at f to the edge, it being understood that it is not essential that the lugs should extend to the edge of the spool. As will be apparent the device is firmly held against displacement from the central hole of the spool by means of the lug c at one end and lugs c at the opposite end of the shank b. The contour of the lug c is preferably curved so as to prevent the thread from becoming chafed thereagainst.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2 the loose end of the thread is brought under the lug c at the side opposite to the notch (Z, and slipped into the notch 03 from the underside of the lug c, the flared outer end of the notch facilitating the entry of the thread while the converging inner end of the notch securely holds the latter therein. Heretofore, when the cut in the end of the spool was utilized to secure the thread and when it was desired to sever a length from the spool it was necessary to either use some cutting instrument or break the thread, in the latter event the result being a ragged break "and also causing the thread upon the spool to spring back and become tangled whereas with the present device the desired length of thread being unwound from the spool it is cut from the main length by utilizing the notch and giving the thread a smart jerk, the unwindmg and consequent tangling of the thread upon the spool being prevented by the lug c. If it is desired the lugs 6 may be utilized to secure the loose end of the thread in the event of the said loose end occurring at that end of the spool.

As will be apparent this device when applied to a spool will not interfere with its use in connection with a sewing machine be cause the hollow shank Z), closely fitting the central hole of the spool will allow the spool to be placed on the spindle of the machine as usual.

By reference to Fig. 4 it Will be seen that the device is formed entirely from a single piece of sheet metal, the lugs 6 being cut as I indicated.

In applying the device to a spool, the body portion is rolled up, by any preferred means, and lug 0 bent at right angles thereto and before the lugs e are bent over the shank is inserted through the central hole of the spool until the lug c rests upon the end of the latter when the lugs (Z are bent flat upon the opposite end of the spool and clenched as before described.

What I claim is as follows:

In combination with a spool having a hole therethrough and adapted to have ISABEL HOWARD-OKEEFFE.

Witnesses R. BoUoHER, L. VAoHnT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

